


The hill

by ApfelTHS



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Ben Solo is kind of a douche, F/M, First Kiss, Jedi Temple (Star Wars), Padawan Rey, Rey has her temper, Reylo - Freeform, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Spoilers, Teenagers, Young Ben Solo, Young Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:00:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21961756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ApfelTHS/pseuds/ApfelTHS
Summary: Another day at the Jedi Temple for Rey, a young Padawan who is struggling with her control of the Force. She finds herself training with her annoying classmate, Ben Solo. She had tried to hate him for so long, but something is pulling her closer to the cocky boy who keeps defying her.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey & Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 2
Kudos: 34





	The hill

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys!!!  
> I don't know how to do this so I'm gonna be quick: this is the first time I'm posting here. I've written other stuff before but never dared to publish anything. Since TROS came out, the last week has been for me, and for many of us, difficult to handle. Which gave me the courage to post this little OS about Padawan Rey & Ben.  
> English is not my mother tongue and I think you'll see it very quickly. But I just needed something sweet to get grief out of my system, so here you go.  
> Please, feel free to share your advices with me, I'd really like to improve :)

This was another day at the temple. After a long morning of meditation with Master Yoda, Rey had found herself alone in the training room. She was always struggling with finding the voice inside her soul. The Force was here, she could feel it, hear it speak to her. But the flow of her thoughts was too loud for her to distinguish what the Force was telling her. Master Yoda had always said she was too impatient to focus. She couldn’t help it: for her, the Force was an instinct, something guiding her decisions at the right moment. That’s why she was so good at defense class. Fighting was her thing. 

As she was wrapping the stripes of fabric around her knuckles, she could hear the steps of the other students approaching the room. Their training class was about to begin. Finn, who was her best friend and also way better than her at meditating, arrived with the others and sat by her side. He always tried to help her concentrate. She was feeling at ease with him, his presence soothing her anger. The young Padawan helped him with his own stripes while listening to his jokes. Finn was a disciplined but goofy apprentice. They had grown up together, facing their masters’ punishments every time they’d sneaked out of their rooms to explore the city at night or laughed too loud during their space-geography class. Rey loved him like a brother.

She was tightening her three hair buns one last time before their master’s arrival when her back stiffened. A voice sparked behind her. It was a deep, mocking but sad voice. She didn’t need to turn around, she knew who it belonged to. Ben Solo, nephew of Luke Skywalker, son of Leia Organa and smartest ass of the galaxy. Rey had been in his class forever. He was good in everything it was almost boring and kind of… Irritating. Ben Solo, with his beautiful mahogany hair, strong brows, deep hazel eyes and sad pout, was Rey’s pain in the ass. 

He sat on the floor with the others, not far from her, his long muscular legs crossed like it was nothing. Because Ben was big. He was Rey’s age but he already looked like a man… Except for his eyes. His eyes were the ones of a child. She tried not to look at him but she could feel the slight burn of his gaze on her back. She wanted him to stop, to look somewhere else but it wasn’t like she could turn around and say so. He wasn’t doing anything wrong… Yet.

Master Jinn entered the room and silence fell over the chatty students. She’d always looked up to Qui-Gon Jinn, he was different from their other teachers. He was more compassionate and understanding. He’d caught Rey struggling so many times with herself that he’d became one of her most inspiring mentors. He understood that her lack of focus made her weak when she needed to use her head to win. He had always paired her up with Finn or other students she liked. That day though, Qui-Gon seemed to have something else planned for her in the back of his head. After explaining the whole lesson of the day he started calling apprentices two by two.

As if the Force was talking to her at that exact moment, she knew right before he announced it that her Master had teamed her up with Solo. She wasn’t the type to complain or to disrespect the elders so she stood up and went in a corner of the room, her lightsaber tightly held in her small hand, followed by the loud steps of her classmate. Ben was at least two heads taller and three times larger than her. But she had already fought him and their strength matched. He was big and strong but she was quick and fierce. Also, she really wanted to kick his ass.

The Padawans started practicing their lesson, igniting their lightsabers with vibrating sounds all around. Rey watched Finn across the room, spinning the hilt with his hand while smiling to Kaydel Connix, his partner for the day. The pretty blond had such a flexible body, she remained unmatched even after years of training. Rey and Kaydel often practiced together, fixing each other’s flaws. As she was observing them starting their fight, Ben’s voice reminded her of his presence and their task for the course at once.

« So? I’m not gonna wait all day to take you down. »

Rey sighed and looked at him, igniting her saber herself. He was already annoying her. That morning, Ben had been fantastic. His level of focus had always marveled Rey and the others. When he wanted something, it didn’t take long for the Padawan to get it. And everything seemed so easy with him. He didn’t close his eyes anymore, he didn’t take his time to breath too… With the strength of his mind, he could change the course of water or move large objects just like Master Yoda showed them once. And he was cocky about it. That was what Rey couldn’t stand about him. So what if his roots were better than hers? So what if he was born in a family where the Force was stronger than ever? And even when Rey tried to hate him, she had to admit it: he was probably working harder than all of them combined.

Grabbing the hilt with both hands, Rey stared at him, feeling a flow of energy flooding through her bones, muscles and veins. She needed a little more time than him to adjust, to feel what the Force was telling her. He respectfully waited for her to open her eyes again and as if he had read in her mind, he came at her with his first stroke. She immediately reacted, defending herself just like Master Qui-Gon Jinn had taught them earlier. Spinning on her feet, she avoided another attack coming from the left, grabbing his arm to push him away. But Ben didn’t tumble. He never did. His strong calves anchored on the floor never failed him. 

It was her turn to come at him now. She knew he didn’t need preparation and ran to Ben with a firm intent to show this boy she could endangered him. But he was too quick and she didn’t even had the time to strike his blade, she was already on her back, his gaze leaning on her. He didn’t mock her but she could feel the defiance in his eyes. She stood up again, ready to face him. This time he jumped over her and tried to hit her on the back but she spun faster than he thought she would and faced him again. Their blades collided several times, their moves getting faster and stronger. Now, they were fighting, completely ignoring the instructions their Master gave them earlier.

She was making him step back for a moment, her face turning mad, sweat running from the roots of her hair down to her temples. His lips pressed together, he seemed destabilized. She could hear Qui-Gon’s voice asking her to calm down, to listen to the Force. But she just wanted to corner him against a wall. For a moment, she followed the slow trail of a drop of sweat running down Ben’s throat, wetting the Padawan braid in his neck. And as her sight became blurry, it only took him a few seconds to take back his advantage, hit Rey behind her legs and make her fall roughly on the floor, his foot now on her chest. He had won again.

« Rey. »

That was her Master’s voice. He wasn’t angry but concerned. Ben finally let go of her and offered her his hand but she ignored it and stood up by herself.

« You were supposed to practice your defense, not attack him. That is not the Jedi way. »  
« It’s his fault. »

Her partner chuckled, shaking his head in disapprobation.

« How is that Ben’s fault if you failed? »  
« He’s… Arrogant. I can’t concentrate. »  
« Come on Rey, everybody knows you suck at focusing. » Ben said with defiance.

Rey was ready to jump at his throat again when she felt a strong fist pushing her away. Qui-Gon Jinn hadn’t touched her but he had force-blocked her. The Jedi Master was now looking at her in a way that made her feel guilty to be so childish.

« Young Padawans are looking up to you for guidance. You are not worthy of them if you can’t control your anger over your own family. »  
« She’s not my family! » Ben threw roughly with a tone of disgust in his voice.

Rey wanted to punch him in the nose. But they were already making a mess and a shame of themselves. She needed to be the bigger woman if she didn’t want Master Jinn to give her too many chores that night. The young woman looked at her teacher and nodded to make him understand she was ready to train again. She could feel everybody else’s gaze on them. But their classmates were used to see Ben and Rey fight whenever they could. They were just making sure nobody was really hurt. 

Rey had hurt Ben once. In her anger, she had force-thrown rocks at him. He had been so surprised she had done it, that he didn’t have the time to cover his face. One of the rocks had hit him on the lips, making him bleed. Another had rebounded on his brow bone, scarring him forever. That day, they had both stayed still, in shock. Rey had apologized for coming at him so violently and he had nodded wordlessly. She didn’t even recall why she was mad at him in the first place.

Qui-Gon Jinn shook his head and asked Connix to come work with Rey, pairing Finn with Ben. It was probably best for the rest of the class. Rey watched him walk away and sighed. She had never wanted them to be enemies. Deep down, she admired Ben Solo so much. His determination, his calm, his confidence… He had everything she lacked of. She knew it and that was probably why she faked hating him for so long. Because she would never ask him for help.

Not that she’d never tried, but it was never a good time with him. He had always made her feel odd about herself. They never became friends even though she had always been drawn to him and he to her. And Rey was easy to talk to. Everybody in the temple loved her for her smile, her kindness and cleverness. Ben was just too busy training, reading books and hanging with the few friends he had, mostly older Padawans.

Kaydel and Rey resumed their training and the rest of the afternoon went way more peacefully than it started. Rey didn’t wait for long after training to join the girls quarter to take a shower. Under the hot steam, she let her thoughts linger. She had bruises from the fight with Ben on her arms and her bones were aching where he had laid his foot. It wasn’t a physical pain. She was hurt in her feelings. She knew she wasn’t supposed to feel anything, it was training, a test she had failed. But there was something more to him making her feel like a loser. He was always teasing her but he had never intentionally humiliated her like that.

Rey wrapped herself in a towel and hold it tight against her chest. Her hair was dripping in her neck and she needed some fresh air. Once dried, she put on her Padawan shirt and light brown pants, not ready for her night gown yet. It was already late so she had to be quick and discreet if she wanted to go out without any Master noticing she was gone. After making sure the corridor was empty, she headed to the kitchen hall, her steps as light as a feather. It was her safe passage to the city. Her and Finn always had their way through the little back door in the kitchen. The cooking people were easily fooled with a wave of the hand and a little bit of mind-tricks. It had taken Rey months to master that technique and she only used it when needed. And that night, needed, it was.

The Padawan hugged the walls of the Jedi temple, waited for the sentinel’s light to swift away and ran down the street leading to the edge of the Jedi’s sacred area. The lights of Coruscant were shining all around, lighting her path to their secret passage. From there, Rey called one of the transport available with a wave of the arm. She handed the driver few coins and gave him the direction. The old man holding the wheel should have recognize the white Padawan shirt and the small braid hanging on her shoulder. But Rey knew most of these guys just wanted the money and couldn’t care less the young apprentice wasn’t allowed to leave the temple without supervision.

She watched the lights of the building disappear while they sank through the city jungle. At night, Coruscant was agitated, loud and wild. Rey was as fascinated as she was repulsed by this planet. She missed the quietness of Naboo, the kindness of its people and the smell of fresh grass. That night, she missed it more than everything. That was why she was going there right now. And that was also where she was going to find him too. As the buildings were becoming less and less imposing, the driver slowed down next to a dark shape. She stepped out and head to it.

Once her foot touched the mellow floor of grass, dust and rocks, she felt better. Coruscant was entirely covered with buildings and air-routes. There was nowhere to breath, except in those small areas of nature. They were scattered all around town and this one was the closest to the Jedi Temple. It was dark because there was no light, no electricity, nothing. Just the trees, the dirt, and the Force. And she could already feel he was there too.

Rey entered the park, followed the path through the trees, climbed the small hill and stopped. A dark silhouette stood out perfectly against the bright city skyline. His hair was floating with the light breeze and everything around them was silent. She knew he’d heard her coming. He’d probably even felt her leaving the temple to join him on the hill. She took a few steps forward and sat next to him wordlessly. His eyes were closed, his palm open, a pile of little rocks slowly dancing in the air. She didn’t want to disturb him so she just watched his profile. A strong nose, a pink plumpy mouth, a willing chin and a long neck coming out of his Padawan shirt… Ben Solo looked as beautiful as mysterious.

Without opening his eyes, he sent some of the rocks to fly around her. She caught them with her mind in the crook of her hand and watched them float above it. They could stay silent forever, it would have been enough, but this night she needed to talk to him. Her eyes travelled from her palm to his face, observing his profile standing out into the midnight shadow of the hill. Alone next to him, the voices inside her head were quiet. She could only hear one of them, swimming peacefully through her veins like warm honey surrounding her heart. 

The first time she had come here 3 years ago, she’d thought she’d found her secret garden. A place where no one could disturb her thoughts and where she could finally be at peace with herself and the Force. But after a few visits she’d came across him. They had stared at each other, not knowing what to say or do. They weren’t friends, on the contrary. At that time, Ben and Rey were already fierce competitors. Though, they had said nothing. They had both understood why they were here and silently agreed to not say anything to anyone about that secret.

Months, years have passed and they still shared the hill in silence. They had exchanged a few words but it was like they didn’t need it. Jedis knew how to communicate with their fellows without opening their mouths. For Ben and Rey, it was even stronger than that: they could soothe one another. Or on the contrary, excite and ruffle the other. 

Timidly and for the first time, Rey’s hand fell on Ben’s. She wanted to know if his touch could be even more intense than being close to him. His immediate reaction was to look at her with an inquisitive look, like a scared animal trapped in a cage. But he didn’t remove his hand. He stayed there, his eyes becoming calmer and softer. Under her fingers, Rey could feel his large knuckles. Their skins were rough from daily training but against each other, it never felt so smooth. Something warm travelled from one hand to the other, bonding them even more. After a few seconds looking in each other’s eyes, Rey broke the silence with a shy voice.

« Hi… »  
« Hi. »

Rey bite her lip and chuckled a little bit. Ben Solo was tall, proud, arrogant, serious… But now he seemed nervous. It was the first time she touched him outside of school. And she had never been gentle with the Padawan. Not even when she’d handed him a training mattress. 

« Why are you here tonight? » She asked, her voice trembling a little.  
« I needed to be alone. »  
« Do you want me to leave? »  
« No! » He retorted, a bit too loud for his taste. 

Rey sighed and smiled in relief. She had this weird feeling inside. He had been mean today, more than usual. But she didn’t want to be anywhere else than here. For a long time, she tried to erase that thought out of her head. But it kept coming back, as if she was destined to be there on that hill with him. Ben brought his legs closer to him, circling them with his arms. 

« You can stay » he added.  
« Thanks… »  
« I’m sorry… For today. » He said a few seconds later.  
« Why are you so mean to me? »  
« You’re not very nice to me either. »  
« You’re getting on my nerves. »  
« You too! »

Rey had taken her hand back, suddenly pissed and irritated. But it was a game between them. One couldn’t be angry without the other to follow his path. She knew that now. So she smiled at him again. They were both stupid kids. 

« I’m… I don’t like that you can read my mind. » He said, avoiding her gaze.  
« You can read mine too… »  
« I know. It’s just... I wish I didn’t have to be so much in control every time you’re around. And your brain is loud Rey. »  
« I’m sorry. I can’t help it. »  
« If you could just… Focus. »  
« Ben… »

He looked at her, sorry again that he kept giving her orders or making her feel bad about herself.

« I know…I’m an ass. »  
« Your mouth talks shit, your heart does not. »

This time, he was the one to take her hand, making their thoughts become one again. Rey closed her eyes, picturing the flow between them as a purple current studded with stars, like one of the polar lights she once saw during a mission on Hoth. When this thought disappeared from her brain, it felt like it was travelling to Ben’s. He smiled a bit and nodded. And it made her think about something else, something more serious.

« Is Master Yoda sending you on a mission soon? »  
« Luke and I are going to Corellia next week. »  
« Isn’t it where your father’s from? »  
« Yes… » He answered with a bitter tone.  
« Are you nervous about it? »  
« No… »  
« I don’t know why I ask. You’re always so confident. »  
« When you’re not here I can concentrate » He said with a smile in his voice.  
« Hey! »

She pushed him a bit and they both chuckled. 

« You looked like you were about to throw up when Master Jinn implied we were a family. »

He sighed, staring at his large feet. 

« You know it wasn’t against you. »  
« Well, it wasn’t really nice either… »

She didn’t flee from his gaze when he finally turned his head to face her. There was something he was trying to tell her, but he couldn’t. Ben had never been the chatty type, especially when it came to his feelings. The young Padawan had been well-trained: he was supposed to cut himself from the real world and devote his soul to the Force. They both knew that rule had been set to serve a bigger picture. But she couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to be with someone. And when alone in her tiny bed in the dorm room, she would allow her mind to linger on the thoughts of holding someone else’s hand, it was always Ben’s large palm she would picture in hers. 

As if he’d seen her thoughts clearly in his mind, she saw his big hand coming closer to her face, brushing her hair backwards and something inside them changed instantly. It was unexpected, but she wasn’t mad he did that. In fact, she wanted more and he felt it. His fingers came to rest on her neck, soothing her, making her feel safe. They weren’t supposed to do this, to answer to their urges but who were they to contradict the will of the Force? 

Rey took the first step, leaning closer toward him. She could feel the warmth of his breath on her lips. She was ready to seal them but something in the back of her head stopped her. In Rey’s mind, everything was pink, soft and sweet. She just needed him to say yes, to approve this new and unexpected path they were about to take. 

Ben was also waiting for her to move forward. His hand, still stroking her neck, was pressing a little bit more against her skin. A whisper echoed in her brain. Ben’s voice was speaking to her, asking her to close the gap between them. « Please » Rey could hear. The bridge of his nose was already caressing hers, rising the purple tension between them. She thought her heart would be thumping hard if she had one day the chance to find someone to kiss. But it was the opposite. The world had stopped turning, the menacing war over their heads was just a memory… Nothing could disturb them here. Tilting her head to the right, she let her lips collide on his in an awkward but cute embrace.

Ben’s mouth was plump, warm and shy. He didn’t kiss her back at first, probably too nervous to move. But his hand came directly on the back of her nape pulling her more, while his trembling arm circled her tiny waist. Finally, she dared to open her mouth, not sure about how it was supposed to be done. But neither was he. It was their first kiss and they both allowed one another to suck at it. 

As they were gaining more and more confidence, the voices inside their heads shut to give their place to one single sound they couldn’t start to define. Rey was Ben and Ben was Rey, without them noticing how odd it would be for a stranger. They both felt finally complete, at peace, aligned with the stars shining above their heads. Ben stopped their kiss for a moment, taking a deep breath, his forehead resting on hers. Rey’s hand travelled to his cheek, caressing it, feeling the wetness that wasn’t hers on her lips. And for the first time, something brighter than the sun shining above Naboo on a summer afternoon bursted in front of her eyes, and her eyes only: Ben was smiling.  
It wasn’t his shy or cocky smile. His pouty lips parted in an exquisite arc, revealing his crooked teeth Rey had only seen when he was madly hissing at her. She smiled back, her heart full, saved from any pain that could ever happen to her. Suddenly, she didn’t know why, but tears started to flood out of her eyes. Ben was crying too. It wasn’t from sadness or joy, it was above all human sentiment. She was one with the Force, one with Ben Solo. Everything made sense.

Brushing their lips together once again, Ben grabbed Rey’s firm body and sat her on his lap. She rested her head in the crook of his neck, impregnating herself of his smell. Her ear right next to Ben’s neck, she could hear his blood thumping in rhythm with hers. He was soon leaving for a mission and her own master would one day call her too. They weren’t allowed to be together, but there were destined for it. It was right, natural and beautiful. She was his and he was hers. Nothing could take this away from them. Not the Jedi Order, not the war. Not even death.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Feel free to share your thoughts!
> 
> [ Next work. ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22132606/chapters/52827358)


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